Under the initiative of the Police College, two Force delegations called on the French National Police (FNP) in Paris last December for thematic studies in policing.

Senior Superintendent Chin Tsang-lo led five Senior Inspectors (SIPs) to visit the FNP from December 11 to 15 about closed-circuit television (CCTV) policing. The French Judicial Police explained to the Force delegates about the legal framework for the application of CCTV in policing whilst the Paris Region Community Safety Department shared how their change of focus from video surveillance to video protection drew support from the public. The delegates also met FNP officers from the Central Directorate of Public Security, the Recruitment and Training Centre and Versailles Police Station to further understand the development of CCTV policing.

Another delegation headed by Superintendent Fang Chi-kin and comprising a Chief Inspector and four SIPs called on the FNP between December 18 and 22 to exchange views with their counterparts on policing against illegal immigration. The delegates met officers from the Central Office for Combating Illegal Immigration and Illegal Employment of Foreign Worker as well as the French Unit for Operational Co-ordination of Measures to Combat the Trafficking and Exploitation of Migrants to discuss strategies in curbing illegal immigration. Other gatekeepers, including the French Border Police at Airport Roissy and the National Train Police, also shared their expertise and technology in scrutinising illegal entrants. One of the highlights of the programme was a visit to the bi-national Police and Customs Co-operation Centre on the French border with Belgium to learn about cross-border co-operation.

The visits had enriched the delegates' professional knowledge and promoted co-operation between the Force and the FNP.